Safety not only issue for senior citizens

Safety is not the only concern on the mind of Delhi’s senior citizens.

Issues such as loud sound, including that of police patrol bikes, delays in disbursal of pension and lack of recreational facilities for them are some other concerns that they want redressed.

V Jayashankar, a resident of Chittaranjan Park, has written several letters to the police, complaining about the blaring sound from the police bikes.

“It starts around midnight and continues till around 5.30am, disturbing the local residents, especially the elderly and children. Repeated requests made by the residents, including those to the PCR, has had little effect,” Jayashankar said in his letter.

JR Gupta of the Confederation of Senior Citizens Association of Delhi met the Police Commissioner recently to discuss the increasing crime against senior citizens who live alone.

Members of the confederation complained about the irregular visits by beat constables to the houses of senior citizens who are registered with Delhi Police.

“Apart from safety, we have several other issues. Encroachment on footpaths is one of them. It makes extremely difficult for us to walk. The police should launch a special drive to register more senior citizens across Delhi,” Gupta said.

The senior citizens council of Delhi has also helped protected elderly people from abuses and humiliation from their own children and others. According to Gupta, more than 50 cases have been solved after their intervention.

Presently, the total number of senior citizens in Delhi is 11 lakh of which more than four lakh are below the poverty line. “Most of the senior citizens in the BPL category are not getting their monthly old-age pension from the social welfare department,” Gupta said.